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(No Model.)

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. BAG LOCK.

No. 442,884. Patented Deo. 16, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEETCE.

HENRY K. HARKER, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO FREDERIC C. lNEIR, OF SAME PLACE.

BAG-LOCK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 42,884, dated December 16, 1890.

Application tiled November 20, 1889. Serial No. 331,023. (No model.)

T0 all whom it 711,605/ concern:

BeA it known that I, HENRY K. HARKER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Cincinnati, in the county of Hainilton and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Locks for Securing the Covers of Receptacles, of which the following is a specification.

The various features of my invention and the several advantages arising from their use, conjointlyor otherwisegvill be apparent from the following description and claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the upper portion or mouth-end portion of a mail-bag, showing a top view of destination-card case and a top View of a lock embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a section taken transversely through the inailbag and through the lock at the dotted line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view ofthe interior of the lock when the front or outer plate of the casing has been removed, the portion or strap to which the lock is attached being shown in connection with the remainder of said lock. Fig. a is a transverse section of the said lock, destination-card case, and upper portion of mailbag, taken at the dotted line 4f 4 of Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a view ot' the front or upper surface of the destinationcard case and the base-plate attached to the mail-bag and on which the lock rests. also showing t-he top or upper end of the latch. Fig. 6 is a top view of the interior frame-work of the lock intermediate between the upper and lower securingplates. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the preferred form of key to be used with the said lock.

A indicates a mail-bag of any suitable form, having its mouth closed by a iiap portion A', folded over flat upon the upper portion of the inail-bag, thereby closing up the mouth or opening of the mail-bag through which mail-matter is introduced into the bag or removed therefrom. The front portion A2 of the mail-bag immediately behind the iiap is preferably re-enforced by a stiftening-piece A3. To this portion of the mail-bag, and preferably to the stiffening-piece aforementioned, is secured the latch-piece F. This latch-piece F consists of a' shank whose free or outer end is provided with a laterally-extending lip or hook projection F2, and this end of the latch has a beveled surface F', extending from a point on the latch F2 upward to the opposite wall of the latch. In the outer surface of the ilap A lies the base-plate E, suitably secured to the flap,preferably by rivets D passing through holes, as D D,in the base-plate, the holes being preferably located one at one side of the base-plate and the other at the other end of the base-plate, substantially as shown. The base-plate is also provided with an opening G of the proper size and just large enough to easily pass over the latch F, thereby allowing the flap ot' the mail-bag to lie iiat against the adjacent portion A2 of the mailbag and at the same time allowing the latch to project through and beyond the said base-plate a sufficient distance to ,make proper connection with the lock, as hereinafter mentioned.

The construction of the lock is substantiallly as follows: The upper portion of the frame of the lock consists of the plate H', provided with a key-hole land alatch-hole opening J, the latter being for the reception of the latch. The lower or base plate H H of the lock is the same size and shape as the plate H', and has similar openings for the reception of screws, and it has also a similar opening for the reception of the latch; but the key-hole I is not present. The frame-work of the lock intermediate between the upper plate H and the base-plate Il consists ef a frame open at top and bottom and provided at one end with the wall H2 and at the other end with the wall H3 and at one side with the wall H"L and at the other side with the wall H5. This frame H2, H2, H4, and H5 rests upon the base-plate Il, and on the top of this said plate H2 Hill1 H5 rests the upper or outer plate H. The upper and lower plates and the intermediate frame aforesaid are securely united together in a rigid manner by means of screws K, passing through holes in the plate H. and through holes K in the frame-work H2 H3 Il* H5 and through corresponding holes in the plate II, the holes K in one of the plates being` screw-threaded and engaging a screw-thread on the screw K and entering therein. For the purposes of se curity the screw-heads of these screws are located on the under side of the base-plate IOO ll, so that when the lock is locked to the bag it will be impossible to reach the heads with a screw-driver and thus unscrew the screws. 'lhe screw-holes K aforementioned are preferably located one in each corner of the frame ll2 Il H4 Il, and of course the corresponding holes in the plate ll will be located to come opposite the holes lx" inthe said frame.

'lhe interior of the frame ll2 ll ll ll contains the operative parts of the lock. These parts are as follows: Within the frame and sliding` longitudinally therein is a. sliding tumbler L. The forward end of this tumbler is beveled at L on its under side. 'lhe tumbler is provided with a recess lf. The rear edge of the said recess is provided with a detent L. 'lhe rest l.'l of this rear edge is cut away. rlhe recess of the tumbler is located substantially as shown in Fig. 3. 'lhe tumbler when not retracted by a kcy )l always occupies the advanced position shown in Fig. i3 by reason of the pressure exerted by a suitable spring. Such a spring is shown quite fully in Fig. 3 and indicated bythe letter N, the springin the presentillustrative instance being a spiral one, compressed between the rear wall ll2 of the frame and the rear end of the tumbler. When the tumbler is in the position shown in Fig. 3, the key can be readily inserted into the lock and into thc recess l.'2 of thetumblerthroughthekey-hole I. A suitable, detent is provided to prevent the tumbler from sliding too far forward. The preferred form of detent is shown in the drawings, particularly in Figs. 3 and G, and consists ef a pin l), fixed to the stationary parts of the lock in any suitablemanner. 'lhe pin works in the opening l in the tumbler L, and as the tumblers advance through the agency ot' the spring N the rear wall of this opening l impinges against the pin and prevents the farther forward advance of the tumbler. The object of preventing the tumbler from advancing farther forward is that there shall always be a space between the frontend of the tumbler and the wall ll3 of the lock to admit the point ot' the latch, so that the latch may enter through the said space and its beveled portion bear against the beveled edge of the tumbler, and thereby operate to push back the tumbler as thelock is pushed down from the latch. lhe `key is of a simple description, having a shank provided with an arm, as M M. The key, being inserted through the keyhole I into the lock and turned, operates against the detent lj of the tumbler and presses back the tumbler, and thereby withdrawing it from under the lip F2, and allowing the lip to be lifted up from the latch and withdrawn, thereby unlocking the mail-bag.

lnasmuch as the lock and its key are both very simple in construction, in order to prevent the ready picking thereof, I duplicate the tumbler, and for supportingthe tumblers in position at a distance apart, so that there may be two arms of the key located at a distance apart, and thereby preventing any key with a single arm from unlocking the lock., 1 provide the frame H2 H2 H* H`V` with a diaphragm centrally located. On the upper side of said diaphragm is located one of the tumblers, such as already described, and on the other side of the diaphragm is located another of the said tulnblers, as already described. The detent or pin l), heretofore referred to, 1s located in said diapl1ragm,as shown, and eX- teiids through the diaphragm and projects on both sides thereof. 'lhis detent l) preferably consists of a pin screwed into the diaphragm. Each diaphragm is provided with its own 1ndependent spring', such as hereinbefore described, for advancing it and holding it in an advanced position, except when the tumbler is retracted by means of a key. ln the event otl there being two tumblers and springs the key )l will be provided with two arms.

The lock is suitably secured to the usual binding-strap S of the mail-bag in any suitable manner, preferably as follows: The fr ee end of the strap is placed between the adyacent ends ot' the plate ll ll', and the front edge of the said strap rests against and is in near proximity to the rear wall of the frame ll2 llS IlA1 H5. 'lhe end of the strap is then riveted or bolted or otherwise suitably secured in position between said plates Il and ll.

ln practice my improved lock is operated in general as follows: After the inail-matter has been placed in the bag, the flap is brought over and down against the front side A2 of the mail-bag, the latch F passing through the opening G in the plate E. The strap S is now folded over the flap substantially as shown in lfig. l, and the lock is now applied to the latch l1l by inserting the upper point of the latch into the space between the front edge ofthe adjacent tumbler and the front wall lli. 'lhe operator new presses the lock down upon the latch, and the beveled edge F operates to push back the tumbler until the projeetion F2 of the latch passes the tumbler. The spring N of this tumbler will then immediately advance the tumbler so that its forward edge will project under the lip projection F2. ln case there are two tumblers, as it is intended there shall be, the latch will next retract the second or upper tumbler in the same manner that it did the rst or lower one. After passing the upper tumbler its forward edge will also catch securely in the projection T2. As the upper forward edge portion of each of the tumblers is fiat and not beveled away, any effort to pull the lock off the latch will be resisted by the edges of the front ends of the tumblers. W'hen it is desired to unlock the lock, the key M isinserted, and the detent LS of one of its arms M bears against the detent L3 of the other arm. As the key is turned the tumbler is retract-ed, the free ends of the arms M M of the key respectively resting against the adjacent surfaces L1 of the respective tumblers. The tumblers will now remain retracted, and their forward edges having been drawn back the free IOC IOS

IIO

therewith.

For the purpose of convenience I preferably attach a card or plate indicating the destination of the mail-bag when en fronte, and I combine with said lock a suitable device for holding said destination-card. This combination is substantially as follows: I provide a destination-card case C, having end walls C" CJt and back wall C2, top G3, and base C. This base C is connected to the part E and preferably integral therewith, it and the part E in the latter instance being formed out of one sheet of metal. vThe top C3 of the cardcase is provided with an opening C5. The space inclosed by the walls C4 C4 C2 is smaller than the length and breadth of the space inclosed by the walls C4 C4 C2 lying beneath the top C3. A proper card indicating the destination of the mail-bag, of a size sufficient to fill the space last mentioned, is inserted into said space, the printing or writing of said destination-card being uppermost. As the card is larger than the space C5 and the top C3, it cannot escape through the said opening, and at the same time the destination indicated will appear through said opening. Then the lock is locked to the'mail-bag, all tendency of the destination-card to slip out of its case through the opening after it has been introduced into said case is effectually prevented by the presence of the adjacent edge of the lock. When the mail-bag has reached its destination and the lock is removed therefrom, the card can be readily withdrawn from its case and a new card inserted indicating the subsequent destination of the mail-bag.

Some of the advantages of my improved lock are as follows: The lock being attached to the pouch or mail-bag is not liable to be mislaid. The operation of locking the lock to the mail-bag is extremely rapid, and much time is thereby saved in the locking of the bag. The lock is very compact, and its compactness renders it less liable to destructive contact with pavements, floors, and the like. Moreover, its flat form assists in preserving it from injury. The lock is very light of weight, and its use saves much expense ann ually in the matter of transportation, inasmuch as the Government pays for less weight annually carried in the transportation of the mail. The lock is a remarkably safe one, as no degree of concussion will spring it open. Furthermore, it is extremely economical of manufacture.

IVhile the various features of my invention are preferably employed together, one or more of said features may be used without the remainder, and in so far as applicable one or more of said features may be used in connection with locks other than the specific cntircty herein set forth.

lVhat I claim as new and of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination of the latch, substantially as F F2, the lock having` a space for the introduction of the latch, and two tumblers whose forward ends are each provided with a bevel, as Il', at a distance from each other, each of the tumblers reciprocating independently of the other, and each provided with its own spring for its advancement and with a suitable detent for limiting its advance and with a detent for theY impingement of the arm of the key, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

2. A mail-bag provided with a latch havhaving a frame, as H2 H3 H4 H5, provided with a diaphragm intermediate between the two tumblers, each of the tumblers provided at its forward end with a beveled edge,'each tumbler reciprocating independently of the other, each advanced by its own spring, such advancement being limited by a detent, each tumbler provided with a recess for the reception of the key and surfaces for the impingement of the arm of the key, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. A mail-bag provided with latch F, having beveled top and projecting lip, and the base-plate E, secured to the flap, having opening G, through which the latch F passes, and the flat lock having reciprocating tumblers provided with the upward beveled edge and advanced by a spring, such advance being limited by a detent, and having a recess provided with walls for the impingement of the arm of the key, and outlying frame H2 H3 H4 H5, the upper and lower frame portions HH', extending rearwardly beyond the lock and receiving the end of the strap, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4:. A mail-bag provided with latch F, hav- Ving beveled top and projecting lip, and the base-plate E, secured to the flap, having open- .ing G, through which the latch F passes, and the fiat lock having reciprocating tumblers provided with the upward beveled edge and advanced by a spring, such advance being limited by a detent, and having a recess provided with walls for the impingement of the arm of the key, and outlying frame H2 H3 H II, .the upper and lower frame portions II H', extending rearwardly beyond the lock and receiving the end of the strap, the plate E being provided with a destination-card case consisting of the extension C', integral with the plate E and the end wall C4 C4, rear wall C2, and top C3, having opening C5, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

i HENRY K. IIARKER.

Witnesses:

A. L. HERRLINGER,

G. A. H. PARCE.

ing beveled top and projecting lip, the lock IIO 

